Every year this season without fail comes into our homes, and along with it comes the stuffy nose, sniffling, sneezing, and heavy head symptoms. We all know that one person that just never gets sick no matter what they put their bodies through. They could be sitting out in -5 degree weather without a coat and be completely fine. For the rest of us, we open up the window and are instantly hit with the common cold.
So what can we do to help prevent it this Fall?
Here is a list of the supplements that I use during the Fall and Winter as my immune boosting protocol. I also have an “Emergency” plan for when I feel a cold coming on just in case.
Andrographis - This is a great herbal supplement that helps to combat upper respiratory tract infections, ie if there is lung involvement or throat involvement.
Echinacea - For a general immune boost, Echinacea is my daily go to as it is a general immune stimulant and has antimicrobial properties as well.
Mushroom Formula - (Ganoderma and Shiitake) mushrooms work well for the deep immune support. It acts on multiple areas of the immune system helping to eliminate toxins from the liver, providing general immune support, and is beneficial in chronic immune conditions. The caveat is that to get all the appropriate healing components, this specific supplement needs to have gone under proper extraction techniques. Ask your ND for more information.
A.C.E.S. & Zn - Getting a good combination supplement that has vitamins A, C, E, selenium and zinc will give your immune system a big punch! It helps to fight off microbes that are trying to get in and increase the energy each cell has to fight off those bugs.
Vitamin C - This is one of my big go to supplements for fighting colds. Take it one step further and get it right from the source. Lemons! Freshly squeezed lemons are a great alternative to supplements and the lemon peal is even better. Cutting up lemons and putting them in water overnight helps to draw out all the healthy constituents from the lemon rind and also adds flavor. Vitamin C supplements are also another excellent route to get high doses.
These are my personal supplements that I choose to take to help boost my immune system for the season. As promised, for when I feel like I have done everything right and I’m still feeling run down, I go straight to an Immune Booster IV to get the high doses of all my vitamins and supplements. For those emergency situations, nothing kicks a cold better than a quick IV followed by a relaxing day with a cup of tea to help soothe the upper respiratory tract.
As always, this post is not designed to diagnose or treat you, but instead to give you something to think about. Please book a consult with a naturopathic physician prior to changing, starting, or stopping medications or protocols.
References
Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology of Andrographis paniculata: https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2013/846740/
Vitamin C and Immune Function: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19263912
The Influence of Selenium on Immune System: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3723386/